True, Annie. I have many sewing and knitting patterns from my mom and gma. Done in today's fabrics and colors, they are gorgeous. I'm so happy pretty clothes are back in fashion.

My daughters in their thirties and forties love the things I make for them from these old patterns. Takes a little tweaking sometimes to get right, but since we aren't talking bustles and corsets any more, the dresses, coats, blouses, are essentially the same now as they were fifty, sixty years ago. Not much new under the sun, in some ways.

If I wore it once, I don't want to do it again. A lot of those looks don't work that well on those old enough to remember the first time.

That said, a month ago,I very much wanted a pink toggle coat on JCrew but waited a second too long and it sold out

Did you see any nehru jackets and poor boy tops?

Yeah, I was thinking what Bumblebeez said - a lot of those looks were good on those of us "of a certain age" back in the day, but not so much now.

I remember wearing ponchos often when I was in elementary and middle school. My Grannie also made me a patchwork maxi skirt and a crocheted "potholder" vest to go with it. I thought I looked fabulous in that get-up and wore it with alarming regularity. So much so that one of my friends once remarked, "Oh look. Here comes same-suited Jen."

I'm definitely not a fashionista and have a hard time with certain things that are in vogue. These aren't necessarily old school, but I just bought two pair of really cute heeled ankle boots and can't make myself wear them the way the bloggers insist they should be worn:

That little bit of naked ankle showing looks ridiculous on me. I really think you have to be young and cute and have a certain look of waifish naivety about you to get away with a lot of these looks.

I love ponchos but the ones I have wanted only come in one size fits all. When I tried them on it looked like I was wearing a teepee. So it's back to classic blazers for me.

Ponchos are for the waifish. I am not heavy but I don't need anything that makes me look like a blob either. With an hourglass figure, ponchos just make me into a big potato.

And I'm just the opposite, I pretty much dislike all the old-is-new-again fashions this Fall. Hated the ponchos and the Fair Isle sweaters the first time around and now they're everywhere again this season. Ugh! Thank goodness for me, I have a nice selection of Fall and Winter clothes from previous years already. I've told DH not to buy me any clothing items this Christmas!

(Fair Isle sweater below)

Mayflowers, I have my brother's Nehru jacket hanging in the closet for costume purposes?

I was in the Gap back in early September with DS16, and as amazed at the 70s stuff.

As long as I don't have to wear a maxi skirt with platform shoes. But can I wear a jumper with a blouse underneath it?

bumblebeez... from the wool toggle coats that I've seen, I think it may be best that you missed out on the pink one... they're not the most figure flattering coats either!

I wear what I like, buy what I think looks nice and don't worry about it too much until I have a business dinner/function that I have to go to with my hub... that's my most awkward fashion situation I think! i worry is this too young or frumpy or casual, etc. those are the only times really that I wish I was more up on fashion!! :(

I had to look up aran sweaters as I didn't know what those were. I missed them the first go round and won't be buying one, although I haven't seen them advertised. Is that what people call a fisherman's sweater? I have seen ponchos and toggle coats for the last couple of years, although the ponchos are certainly everywhere this year! Bumble, curvyhere too, but I can wear certain ponchos. I bought one with a cowl neck and it has a cable knit down the front (lengthens). It is a bit more fitted. I ordered one from old Navy, pretty plaid, but it looked like a wool blanket on me. LOL Jen, I love the ankle boots, and that is alot coming from me as I am not a boot fan. I don't go for the high heels though but the shorter or wedge heel. I wear slim, cuffed jeans or ankle pants that come just to the top of the boot, no real gap there.

When you get to a certain age, every fashion trend seems to be a recycled version of something you've seen before. The thing is, it's hard to embrace a trend when you remember it falling out of fashion the first time. And people ridiculing it afterward (bell bottoms, anyone?). I've also noticed that they always give it a different name when it comes back ("It's not just blue, it's actually cerulean.") A few years ago, gauchos were in, but I remember them as culottes from way back when. Is there a difference? (Miranda Priestly would think so).

Just as long as they never, ever, ever, ever bring back Units. Remember these?

Yes, they call them fisherman sweaters too. I call them aran knit as that's what they usually call the patterns when I'm knitting...

That's different from fair isle...

I too have heard,"If you wore it the first time around, skip it the second time." However, all the items you describe seem almost universal.

I have been seeing toggle coats for years. Usually camel colored ones.

I usually shop at Ann Taylor and Loft and to be honest, I haven't seen too much of this trend in those two stores.

Go Go boots anyone?

I think of my MIL saying to me when I showed her something new that I bought, "Oh, you just think that's new."

To satisfy my need for fashion plaid, I actually really do like plaid, I bought a plaid scarf. Well, a couple of years ago it was Pea jackets and now it's toggle jackets. I like Pea jackets so I bought one and still wear it. I never liked toggle button jackets because they're too boxy on me.

Yes, Jen, I totally (wink wink) remember units!

I have three pair of herringbone slacks and a pair of glen plaid wool trousers that I adore. LOVE plaid! Have been collecting ponchos for about 20 years now, have five plus a fab red wool cape with hood from Bergdorf's that was my mother's. Still have an old Calvin Klein pea coat and finally donated my navy wool toggle coat with plaid interior last year. Still have a couple of Fair Isle sweaters from the first time around (one cardigan with pearl buttons) and a Norwegian sweater from my Christmas in Copenhagen /Scandinavian trip many, many moons ago. Sweaters do not go out of style!

I was at a department store and everything they sold looked like either something I wore in the 80's-90's when I worked (and I have no desire to recreate that time), drapey, flowy, asymmetrical (which I do not like on me), or teenage skater boy (flannel shirts, skinny jeans, thermal shirts, and it was the ladies depts, I didn't wander into the wrong section).

I did see a wide-striped poncho. Who will that flatter? Where does someone wear that? What adult woman want to take a poncho off over her head, and mess up her hair, if she gets too warm?

There was also a shortie cape/poncho thing made from sweatshirt material. And quite a few pieces that looked like they were made from a furry bathroom rug made into a top. Why? Where would you wear this stuff?

The whole store was on sale plus I had special coupons and all I could find to buy were new bed pillows. I wanted to take advantage of the lower prices but meh, there wasn't anything worth trying on let alone buying.

I just dug up this oldy-moldy. Here I am wearing my oh-so-lovely Units on my honeymoon in 1988. I remember this outfit, head-to-toe black with the little stretchy cumberbund around my waist, and the Mootsies Tootsies flats with gold coins on the toes. I thought I was stylin'.

Sadly, some days I feel like I just have a longer version of this hairdo.

Jen, what a beauty! I loved my Units! Red skirt and red long sleeve top with black cumberband. I felt so cool when I wore it. My flats were black velveteen with a gold emblem.

I don't know how but I completely missed that fashion trend - "units"; never ever heard of it!

Me neither...no idea what units are.

And there were "Multiples", too -- the prime competitor of "Units". I remember them both well. I didn't buy whole outfits, but I had several pair of the pants.

Well thank goodness. I thought I might have been under a rock not knowing about Units.

The only thing you missed by not knowing was looking like a massive dork.

I wear my units mostly as pajamas now! Units are/were knit, I think mostly cotton separates. You mixed and matched tops, bottoms and they had these knit cumberbund type things that went around the waist, because they had a stretch waist so it needed some type of definition. Although I very often wore my "units" with a wide belt of some type. And come to think of it, some were tunics that you didn't have to wear a belt with. I'm not sure that units are totally unflattering depending on how far you take the look, but I stopped wearing mine because the colors and patterns were just too loud for me as an older woman. I had a matching top and skirt but since I washed the top more than the skirt, the top faded to a different color, and knit skirts in general don't flatter me anymore, with a few exceptions. The knit pants from my sets of those came back and went out of style again already once. Mine all have holes in them somewhere which is another reason they are relegated to pajamas, and only when I am living alone, lol!

I also never heard of Units. I thought it was a body part :-)

also never heard of units... must have been a regional thing??

Ponchos and Aran sweaters went out??? Granted, I don't wear either much --- the latter can get too warm and the former --- I guess that's why I hadn't seen them much of late.

Seriously, I'm style-challenged!

Okay, plaid skirts went out and are staying out forever for me --- the very last day I had to wear a school uniform.

EDIT, PS: I never heard of a "unit" before, either. Not surprising. I still only have a vague idea what a "teddy" is. Some sort of night garment for women. (I sleep in t-shirts.)

A teddy is a one piece undergarment...a camisole and panty in one...can be fitted with a built in bra top. Like a bustier with a built in bottom.

I wore my share of shoulder-padded wonders, but nothing as over-the-top as the stuff the Golden Girls wore. Still have a couple pieces with slim pads, but haven't worn them in decades.

lol- I still have a cocktail dress I loved that is almost shaped like a V- big shoulder pads and more fitted around the knees- will never wear it again, but liked it so much and the fabric is so cool.... def had my share of larger shoulder pads- i thought they looked nice on me because I'm taller...

My dirty little secret is that I saved quite a few sets of shoulder pads which are still in the drawer. I think and thought that I looked way better with shoulder pads. Did they balance my hips?

Units were a huge trend when I was in high school, but I thought they were awful :-) I went with ripped Guess jeans with zippered legs, and anything Esprit or Benetton, LOL!

I have actually really enjoyed the return of oversize tops/sweaters/ponchos, and more fitted pants/leggings. It's much more flattering to my body than the tiny fitted shirts and low-rise flared pants of the previous decade.

I wasn't aware of Units until the mid 80s long after my teen years and anything Espirit. Never bought ripped jeans. I was of the generation that covered our rips with decorative patches.

I don't know if this was mentioned ~ High waisted jeans are coming back ~ You know what was once called mom jeans. I'm just happy with any pair that require any length longer than a 2" zipper :) Plus I want to be able to sit and not offend the person behind me.

I am wearing high waisted bell bottoms as we speak. I don't think I would have fit into my pair from the 70's even if I'd thought to keep them.

The fashion trend out now that I'm amazed ever came back is the jumpsuit. Granted I was all over them the first time they came out. I actually had this gorgeous, sexy yellow jumpsuit that I used to wear sometimes when we went out dancing at the clubs in Fort Lauderdale back in my single days. It was a slubby, thin cotton material and was slit to the waist with one tie in midway down holding it (kind of ) together. It was wonderful . . . Until I had to get out of it in the bathroom! Then it became a huge hassle. You're pretty much forced to strip down and pray parts of it don't end up in the toilet or on the floor of the bathroom. Ugh! Not a user friendly outfit!

Are leggings and oversized tops far behind?

Leggings and oversized tops have been in for a couple years. I expect they'll be out again soon.

Yeah, LynnNM, I saw the jumpsuit revival, and said, "That'll last until the next generation realizes how hard they make using the bathroom."

I saw a woman the other day wearing a poncho, and I thought it looked great. I also thought about whether I would wear that again. I also had ponchos but I was 10 or so years old. I had a blue plaid one, kind of like a tartan, that I loved.

Marlene, i had the same thought! Glad i missed the units train i would have looked terrible in them :-)

Marlene, I almost spit my coffee when I read your reply! You are too funny! LOL

Never heard of units.. in the 80s I was in high school and college. I wore a lot of esprit and limited items... tiny waist, baggy body pants/jeans with over sized cotton or linen tops.. or those very deep V sweaters from the limited!

Ponchos, especially, have been back for awhile. I love them-- both dressy and casual. Aran sweaters weren't really something I thought went in or out of style-- I consider them a classic (though I don't wear them) like a button down shirt. They are too bulky for me and I don't wear crew necks (unless in a cardigan) so just not something I wore. I do wear fair isle sweaters and have for many years-- but i am VERY particular about the design. I like the icelandic ones.

I consider toggle jackets pretty classic too-- like barn jackets. I don't wear either of them because the shape doesn't work for me but I do like them.

Shoulder pads? LOVED THEM.. loved the drama and yes, I think they also balanced my shape-- which back then was a tiny waist, wide hips (and broad shoulders!). I actually added shoulder pads to things that didn't have them-- or that didnt have enough padding!

Someone actually gave me a pair of leg warmers last year! They were cute and I did wear them with leggings, boots, and a long sweater. It didn't look too terribly 80s, maybe because the proportions are slightly different now and the hair isn't wildly permed.

yes, jumpsuits with the funky zipper pull shapes!!! liked them, but hated using the bathroom with them! (trying to keep the top/arms from flopping onto the floor!)

ugh! i do not care for highwaisted jeans... at least i have enough lower waisted jeans to last me quite a few years if higher jeans become the style again!!

I don't think units ever hit it big in the south, or at least not with me! I never liked Fair Isle sweaters either, but I did wear my fair share of matching Villager skirts and sweaters (hello mid-60's), mini-skirts, bell bottoms so big you could hide a toddler in there, shoulder pads (what WERE we thinking??), but no jumpsuits (couldn't find one that fit me properly). And today I'm wearing a cozy Eileen Fisher poncho that I love.

I'm a teenager of the 80s but don't remember Units. Of course, my small South Texas town wasn't exactly on the cutting-edge of trends.

One of our hottest trends was having Roper boots in every color of the rainbow! I refused to wear cowboy boots so that one passed me by.

I did participate in Add-A-Beads, Polo shirts with the collar upturned, and my favorite - Forenza sweaters.

Another who is not familiar with Units. Oh Magda - add-a-beads! I loved those. LOL

HHireno, many ponchos are split down the front. The one I ordered (Old Navy) was but it was just way too big, again, like a blanket! The split ones you can wear almost like a jacket (they had this one styled over a denim shirt and it looked great! The ones that pull over your head, just think of wearing a sweater. The cowl one I got will only be worn at our coldest times. We don't have alot of "hard winter" (at least not usually!) I love some of the ponchos and they look really good on some people. Slim (straight leg, fitted) jeans work best on me, not skinny. I do like some flannel shirts, they have some that are much more feminine than the old men's look alikes. The tunic ones are great with leggings or the slim pants/jeans.